Around Us 10-26-10

Published 1:00 pm, Tuesday, October 26, 2010

LUBBOCK - Authorities on Monday were searching for a man who escaped Sunrise Canyon, a psychiatric facility in east Lubbock.

William Jackson, 24, reportedly left the facility at 1950 Aspen Ave. without authorization at 6 a.m., though the details were unclear.

A court ordered Jackson to get treatment at the facility after being arrested on burglary and retaliation charges last year. Authorities don't believe Jackson to be a danger to the public.

Escape charges against Jackson, who had been at the facility since September, are pending, according to Lubbock police.

Scott said the Lubbock County Sheriff's Office released Jackson to Sunrise's custody last month after the court order. Details of that treatment weren't released.

A Sunrise Canyon spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a message left requesting comment about the escape.

Authorities were still looking for Jackson on Monday afternoon. Anyone with information about his whereabouts should call Crime Line at 741-1000. Callers may remain anonymous. - Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

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MIDLAND - Midland authorities say they believe two Lubbock residents they arrested for human trafficking and forcing a Lubbock teen into prostitution have been operating all over West Texas, including in Lubbock.

Midland County Sheriff's deputies arrested Jay Lavone Lloyd, 40, and Taquolia Tameek Thomas, 19, both of Lubbock, in Midland on Friday on the felony charges after busting them during an undercover sting.

During the sting operation, authorities said, they discovered a 17-year-old Estacado High School student who was being forced into prostitution.

When asked if Lloyd and Thomas were believed to be operating in Lubbock, Midland Sgt. Ray Weatherby said, "I know they were."

He said authorities know the operation was big, but they were still investigating to determine the extent and all the details.

Midland authorities set up an undercover operation last week after noticing several advertisements for escort services. They netted seven other arrests in a different sting.

In the sting where officers arrested Lloyd and Thomas, officers posed as men wanting to buy sex and waited in a local motel room. Weatherby said deputies talked with Thomas on the phone to arrange the meeting.

The 17-year-old girl from Lubbock, who is considered a minor under the state's prostitution statute, showed up at the room, agreed to have sex and then accepted money, Weatherby said.

They asked the girl to text Thomas and tell her she was finished. Officers arrested Thomas and Lloyd when they showed up at the motel room to pick the teen up.

Weatherby said authorities didn't want to release additional details from the girl's statement. He didn't say exactly how she was forced into prostitution, but said she had been friends with Thomas.

They arrested her for a misdemeanor prostitution charge, which Weatherby said was necessary to make their case.

Other arrests, including those of other Lubbock residents, were pending.

Lloyd and Thomas both remained behind bars in Midland on Monday in lieu of a $500,000 bond each for compelling prostitution and human trafficking, according to Midland County Jail records. - Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

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AMARILLO - Four parties, including the recently evicted tenant, have submitted bids on the lease to the Potter County Memorial Stadium.

The bidding process, which closed at 2 p.m. Monday, received bids from the Amarillo Dillas, the Pecos League of Professional Baseball, Southern Independent Baseball and an unknown entity called Amarillo Community Baseball Club.

The county put the stadium's lease out for bid after the venue's previous tenant, the Dillas, failed to pay rent this year.

Reunion Sports Group, which owns the Dillas and five other teams in United League Baseball, won the lease last November, and the agreement initially required the organization to make four separate payments of $25,000 from May to August. The organization has so far only managed to pay the county $25,000, despite getting a second chance last month to clear the debt.

County officials said the Dillas' bid is solely from the team, not RSG. County commissioners are expected to accept the winning bid next month.

Potter County Commissioner H.R. Kelly warns the county will "put its foot down" if the next tenant lags with rent. - Amarillo Globe-News

(Contact Deborah Zacher at dzacher@hearstnp.com or 806-296-1360. Become her fan on Facebook.)